While presenting the F10, Ferrari’s 2010 Formula 1 car, company president Luca di Montezemolo mentioned in passing his plans for the upcoming Geneva show. The big boss said that that’s where we’ll finally see a hybrid Ferrari.
The company’s first hybrid will be based on the 599GTB. Recent patents suggest it may be an all-wheel-drive affair, with electric motors turning the front wheels. The hybrid system likely integrates technology from Ferrari’s Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), which was developed for the 2009 F1 season. Systems such as Ferrari’s were allowed but not required last year—they added weight and complexity but afforded extra 82-hp bursts for up to 6.6 seconds per lap. Ferrari struggled with the system on and off during the season and ultimately decided not to use it in the 2010 car. (F1, being the bastion of cost-savings that it is, also instituted a no-refueling rule that required everyone to redesign their cars for this year.)
Are we excited about the possibility of an electrified Ferrari? In a word, no. As with the F1 application, it will make the overall car heavier and even more expensive. But if it helps the company meet tightening efficiency standards and sells well enough to help fund the development of real Ferraris, we’ll begrudgingly accept the hybrid.
Thanks to: Car and Driver